Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-11-20

admire me as much as KNOW sne lofes
me-"
"My poor Montressor," said Lonsdale,
laughing at the visions in which his
friend INDUCED, "these Burmese fellows
in gilt paper helmets have certainly not
the mettIe OF the Mshdi's warriors; but
their bullets may be quite as perilous as
If fred by actual heroes"
Sis it not strange, Travers," llsped
Dsnvers, as these two made their way 20
the parade through the streets OF buDga-
lows; "strange to think that there should
have been such list OF wounded-bsdly
| hit fellowe-at Che wr;ngher; and that the
seductive little widow should be his vile
sitter alp"
GA devil of fiasco," commented Trav-
ere, as they passed Montressor, VINO was
| all unconscious that he was the csuse OF
either envy or speculation.
owe shall have seen some sharp work,
I hope before tomorrow night" said he
| to Lonsdale, IS they threw aside their cl-
CARS and Joined the parade in the dark;
tomorrow and tomorrow creep in our
petty space from day TO day"
"True. And who csn tell what it may
bring forth for some of us?" interrupted
Lonsdale, whose recent dream haunted
him uncomfortably.
CHAPTER xXXvu.-THE sToRMING OF
MINHLA.
The waning moon of the cool early
morning was tipping with its pale silvery
| light the wonderful arebesque carvings of
the great Shoe Dagon Pagods that tower
ed above the soft simmering mist exhaled
from marsh and steam, and from the
damp clumps of heavy mangroves that
dropped into both, when Lonsdale and
Montressor left their quarters in the can
tonments at Rangoon to join the river
expedition against Minhla.
The thoughts of the former was still
full OF his strange and unpleasant dream
of Melanie Talbot, and of that time in
London when, amid the crush of prosatc
West Esd ballroom, there had come
into the hearts of both the one crest
dawn OF passion that can never
return again, when each was drawn to the
other by an irresistible power, though
the word "love" had been unuttered !;
and when Melanie felt herself face to face
with her own heart, and knew, like Ions
| dale, that she had met her fate; and then
came the memory of their parting hour.
In the morning wind the golden leaves
attached to the cornices of the vast
pagoda were moving, and there, too,
were tossing and ringing the sweetly-
toned bells that hang among the rich
golden work of those wonderful leaves,
strange features of face, built in an age
unknown and which, when viewed by
moonlight, seems the abode Of magic and
mystery, surrounded by winged monsters
with solemn ceuntenances, tranquil mien,
and painting lips.
Thoughts of a more practical nature
came on Lonsdale when the dawn broke
quickly on the river and its wooded
banks, and he reflected that
happen whet might, es the
Flotills Steamed up the muddy Ira
waddy, the people at home, SO many
Thousand miles away, would know all
about it-who were the wounded and
who were the slain-ere, perhaps, twelve
hours were over.
1t was the morning of the 18th Novem
Der when the vessels with the Liverpool
regiment-as the old Eighth or Kings, is
now grotesquely named,-the Twenty
first and Twenty-ifth Madras Native In
fsntry, both in scarlet, the former faced
with buff, the latter with dark green,
some sappers, and Royal Artillery mule
battery, were landed at the village of
Patnago, five miles below fort, which
was to be carried by assault;
but the trouble of doing so
WAS obYiated by the garrison
"levanting," as soon IS our troops came
in sight. after undergoing some brilliant
Smelling, however.
A point was thus turned and won with
ease, and other troops came Onto wit
the Second and Eleventh Bengal Infsntry,
under Colonies Baker and Norris, and the
Twelfth Madras; and then the march be-
gan inland, in the direction of Minhla,
near which was the most formidable de-
fence and barrier Of the river, the Kuligon
Fort, mile below the town.
Being ordered to ride forward and
reconnoitre, Lonsdele, after some scouts
had been fred on and driven in, saw that
it stood on an isolated hill, about 800 feet
high, on bend of the river, and that its
guns commanded q long and straight
reach of the latter.
The slope, which was defended by three
lines of earthworks faced with brick, WAS
gentle, but there were other defences,
formed of huge teak logs, backed up By
earth and brick ramparts, so solid as TO
defy our artillery, and, as he reported to
the general, any attempt to carry them
by assault would occasion much loss of
life.
More than two thousand men were sup
posed to be crowded into these works at
Kudigon, and by his field glass, Lonsdale
could see them in their rsnks-if ranks
they could be called, as the Burmese are
nlike without drill or discipline-chewing
betal, smoking and gesticulatiDg wildly,
with their red pennons and gilt umbrel-
las; all with papier-meche helmets
webbing about on their topknots in
comically embarrassing manner; and all
clad in gorgeous garments, bright red
tunics, blue trousers, and variegsted
facings, while the booming of gongs, the
clash of cymbals, and the blsre of dole
full trumpets, all meant to inspire cour
age, made up hideous volume of
sound.
On the Madras and Bengal columns
forming a junction village was ap-
preached, about mile and q half from
Minhls, which had q population of about
5000, and there the advanced files of the
Twelfth Madras Native Infantry opened
fire upon some scattered horsemen.
Proceeding little further through
juugly and densely wooded dis riot, these
files were suddenly greeted by q heavy
voiley, the smoke of which, with the hiss
ing bullets, poured through the foliage in
front and filed the place with obscurity.
AZ this crisis, owing to the density Of
the jungle, the ragged pslengrs leaves
snd cactus hedges, our advancing force
was in long column, as ii proceeding
through narrow lane, the 6anking